Lauren Drake – Preludes (2023)
While there are a lot of songs centred around love, Lauren Drake brings a wonderful emotional depth to this theme with her EP Preludes. The three-track EP journeys through the stages of a budding relationship from the flash of a first meeting to the promises of a serious future woven into a conversation between lovers. Using her flair for pop sounds, she dives into the emotions and sparkling facets of romance, love and overwhelming emotion.
The bubbly pop sound of her single ‘Play Along’ has been threaded into a new level of artistic sophistication for this EP. Drawing on inspiration from her own relationship with her current partner, Drake creates a listening experience that is easy to relate to as you fall into the tale of the lyrics. While these tracks focus on the start of a serious relationship, they continue the overarching theme of Drake’s music as she tells the stories of a young woman navigating life.
The EP opens with a lightning strike first encounter told through the third-person perspective of ‘Perfect Storm’. The light twinkle of the opening creates a sense of wonder that is driven forward by the thrum of the lower-level bass. There is a pastel tone to the higher levels of the track that lifts your spirits and fills you with the wonder of a blinding first meeting and the tender emotions that come with it. As the melody fills the soundscape with these emotions, Drakes’s vocals take your hand leading you into the story of the lyrics. Through the lyrics, she paints a picture of the first weeks and months of a new relationship and puts a little smile on your face.
‘Everything You Do’ sees the story stepping into deeper emotions with lyrics that yearn for bold declarations of love tempered by the inner voice of the backing vocals. The depths of the emotions are echoed by the deeper tones of the sparkling pop tones of the track. It is like you are sinking into the thoughts that rush through your brain when you think about someone you care about. While there is a rush of emotion that strikes you through the melody and the lyrics, there is a touch of tentative caution that lingers as an aftertaste. There is a beautiful display of musicality in this track with the backing vocals lapping over Drake’s main vocal line perfectly. This is easily a song that you can listen to again and again while riding the emotions of the lyrics.
The EP comes to a close with the aptly named ‘Future’ which draws you into the pleasant uncertainty that comes with contemplating the future. There is a more stripped-back feeling to the opening of this song compared to the rest of the EP. It is like the sun slowly creeping over the horizon and lighting a path to a bright future. As with the last track, the brightness of the loving emotions is gently tempered with something that lingers in the back of your mind. The lyrics explore how far a relationship has come while hopefully looking toward the future. It is a wonderful way to end the EP leaving you with a glowing ember of hope in the centre of your chest.
Lauren Drake envelopes you in sparkling tenderness, love and hope for the future while weaving a lyrical journey you can’t help but fall into. Each track has its own tender touch that sets the flame of affection in your chest alight allowing you to bask in the glow of blossoming love. While the emotional depths are amazing, the sheer musicality displayed by the production is second to none.
Find out more about Lauren Drake on her website, Instagram, Tik Tok and Spotify.
